I am planning a family trip for 7 people in mid October or early November. We are still finalizing our destination but plan to stay in an apartment or house in a town so we can walk to restaurants, shops, etc. I've been researching accommodations on AirBnB and Booking.com and am wondering if I should book something now or wait. We need 3 to 4 bedrooms for our group, so I'm not sure if there will be more options closer to our travel dates or if I should find something the family likes and book it now. I know Booking.com properties often have free cancellation which makes it no risk to book now and cancel if we find something we like better. Any advice on timing?
Posted by
Massachusetts
997 posts
Book NOW, don't wait. October is no longer shoulder season. I was in Venice, Florence and Rome mid-to-late October 2023 and it was packed. Given your group size, it's best to book now, especially if you can book cancellable/refundable places. If you find something better/cheaper closer to your travel dates, you can always cancel and re-book.
Posted by
San Diego, California
5409 posts
In my experience, since Covid, prices only go up closer to your dates. Good luck and have a great trip!
Posted by
11500 posts
Book ASAP!
Posted by
Saint Paul, Minnesota
1524 posts
Looking in February last year for apartments for the six of us in Venice, Bologna, and Rome in December and January, I was unable to find big enough apartments except one in Bologna. I booked two apartments as close to each other as I could, which in Venice was kind of fun, in Rome not so much. Yup, book now.
Posted by
118 posts
I agree with all of the above, locking in cancellable accommodations ASAP is a great idea, there are not going to be more options than now. Europe was over run last year and I don't think it is going to change this year. It sounds like 2 units might be easier to find, and sometimes a little separation and more bathrooms is nice.
Mary, we were probably sitting next to you in some restaurant, haha. It was unbelievably crowded in October.
Posted by
Seattle
50 posts
I was in Italy in October 2023, and had no trouble booking good hotels in May and June. YMMV.
Posted by
2676 posts
I have traveled twice with a group of 7- once to Greece and once to Italy. Your selection won’t be better later. As soon as you have figured out the details enough, I would book. I would make sure you can cancel if your plans change or you find something better.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17225 posts
Six of seven responses say book now if you find something suitable for your group. I agree completely. Large places that accommodate 7 people are scarce, and they book up early The one response that differs is talking about simple hotel rooms (for 2?) so does not recognize the issue.
I learned a hard lesson this past year when I was planning a Switzerland trip for our family with six people. I knew exactly what we wanted to book in Mürren—- the same apartment we had in 2019. I never imagined it would be a problem. But when I went to book the apartment on AirBnB 11 months ahead, it was already booked for our dates. These were the only dates in September that were taken; the rest of the month was free. But we could not change our dates. It seemed so improbable I even messaged the owner to ask if there was some mistake, but he said no, he was sorry but it was a firm booking.
So I would definitely book now when you see an apartment that you like. Mas long as it has a decent cancellation policy, there is no downside.
Posted by
OP
Kalamazoo, MI
20 posts
Thank you everyone for your feedback! I tend to get a little ... intense about trip planning, so it helps a lot to hear that I was on the right track and we should book our accommodations asap. I'll get to work finalizing our plans!